Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Accepting the Truth About Me

I've been working out with a couple of friends each morning and have secretly dubbed myself the worst one. They are beautiful, even with bed head hair, no makeup and sweaty bodies. They have more stamina, more gumption, more determination, more strength. I work hard, but they always do it better.

Each day as I leave, a tug of war goes on in my head.

It doesn't matter who is best or worst.

But I'm the worst.

You're still getting the benefits of exercise.

But they look better.

You're getting stronger each time.

And so are they.

Though I know it's a silly argument and I work to push it aside, it eats at me. And this is just one area I do this to myself. I read books and envy the talented authors. I hear singers and wonder why I bother. I hear the stupid things that come out of my mouth. I notice every mistake when playing my instruments. Why can't I excel at anything?

Obviously I drive myself crazy with this kind of thinking and God's decided it's time to for me to quit, overwhelming me with messages about giving grace to myself.

I've realized just as it takes faith to believe who God says He is and trust His Word is true, it takes faith to believe the truth about myself. In the same way I accepted what Jesus did for me, I must accept God's impression of me.

He tells me it's time to choose to believe the truth about how He sees me--if I never did anything for Him, I would still be enough, worthy of His love.

I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.
Jeremiah 31:3

For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you,
1 Thessalonians 1:4

But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.
2 Thessalonians 2:3

From the beginning I was loved, chosen, not because of any great accomplishment, but because of His unfathomable grace. We are loved and accepted by God right now, today, regardless of what we have or have not done, because He is good and gracious and loves us more than we can imagine.

I went to a women's church retreat in April. We were asked to repeat to ourselves this line over and over throughout the weekend."I will believe the truth about myself, no matter how beautiful it is."That's a hard one to swallow sometimes. I am trying.Have a blessed day, Tami